Some more
information about courses listed on the homepage appears
below.

Brush Up Your
Bidding

This course
is designed for players who have successfully completed a beginners’ course and
also those who already have a basic knowledge of the game (perhaps gained some
time ago) and want to become adept in the standard bidding methods in use in
England today.

The course
expands on the methods taught by the English Bridge Union and in addition
introduces some improvements to the basic Modern English system such as Transfer
responses to One No Trump.

The
1NT opening and responses (including Stayman and transfers)

Requirements for a 1NT opening bid

When to avoid a 1NT opening bid

Responding on balanced and unbalanced hands

The Stayman 2♣response and development of the auction

Transfer responses

The opening bid of 1 of a suit

Opening balanced hands too strong for 1NT

What values are needed to open? The Rule of 20

Opening on two-suited hands - which suit to open

How to open on 4-4-4-1 hands

The first response to partner’s opening bid of 1 of a suit

The negative response: “pass”

Raising partner’s suit

Responses in no trumps

Responding in a new suit

The jump shift response

Opener’s rebid

Rebidding on balanced hands

Opener rebids his suit - simple and jump rebids

Opener raises responder’s suit

The rebid after opener’s suit is raised - trial bids

Opener bids a new suit. The Reverse and other strong rebids

Responder’s second bid (1)

Opener has rebid in no trumps

Exploring the options - finding a major suit fit

Opener has raised responder’s suit response

Opener has rebid his suit - including jump rebids by opener

Responder’s second bid (2) - Fourth Suit Forcing

Opener rebids a new suit

Opener’s rebid is consistent with a minimum hand

Responder makes a weak bid on the second round

Responder makes an invitational rebid

Responder can bid game

Fourth Suit Forcing. Opener’s next bid after Fourth Suit
Forcing

Responder’s rebid when opener has shown extra strength

Strong Two bids

The opening bid of 2NT and responses: Stayman 3♣ and Transfers.

Acol 2-bids. Why are opening 2-bids forcing?

Responses to Acol 2-bids

The Acol 2♣
opening bid and responses

Pre-emptive bids

Pre-emptive openings of 3 of a suit. The Rule of 500

The risks attached to opening pre-empts

Responding to an opening 3-bid

Supporting partner’s opening 3-bid

The opening 3NT bid and responses

Opening bids at the 4-level and higher

Slam bidding – Using Cue Bids and Splinter Bids

Slam bidding in no trumps

The Art of Good Slam Bidding

Cue-bids - first and second round controls.

Splinter Bids

Blackwood. When is 4NT not Blackwood?

Gerber and the Grand Slam Force

Five-Card Majors

Most bridge
players in the U.S.A. and also in mainland Europe play bidding systems
which include a requirement that an opening bid of 1♥
or 1♠ requires a 5-card (or longer) suit.
This method (also standard in the Precision Club system) has in recent years
become more popular amongst the top British players.

There is no
doubt that there are various advantages to knowing immediately that your partner
holds at least five cards in a major suit. Supporting him in a competitive
auction becomes much easier, and the opportunity to raise pre-emptively to
disrupt the opponents’ bidding is frequently available. However, it is essential
to understand how the bidding system needs to be modified to accommodate this
method without incurring disadvantages.

This
four-week course is designed for Club players with a sound grasp of the game and
will allow you to include “Five-card Majors” into your bidding system without
distorting the structure when you wish to open and have no 5-card major to bid.

Week
1: Opening 1♥ or 1♠
- responses including the Jacoby 2NT and Splinter Bids
Week 2: Further responses to 1♥ and 1♠:
the forcing 1NT response and Bergen raises
Week 3: Opening bids of 1♣
and 1♥: which
suit to open
Week 4: Responding to 1♣
and 1♥:
Inverted Minor suit raises and the Jacoby 2NT

Weak Two Bids and
Benjaminised Acol

Weak
two-bids can be a very effective weapon in the auction, denying the opponents
bidding space when they hold the balance of power. However, as well as being a
useful pre-emptive bid, the Ogust method of responses and rebids will enable you
to bid accurately following partner’s weak two-bid.

Designed for
players who already have a good grasp of the basics of bidding, this 4-week
course will look at how weak opening two-bids can be integrated into any bidding
system, whether based on Acol, 5-card majors or a strong club opening. The
popular method commonly known as “Benjaminised Acol” will be examined, but also
the “Three weak twos” system used extensively in America (and also on the
internet) will be considered.

In addition,
defensive methods which may be employed to counter an enemy opening weak two-bid
will be examined in detail.

In order to
make the most of our cards we need to be familiar with certain card combinations
and the best way to play them. Although suits must be taken in the context of
the entire hand, nevertheless there are right ways and wrong ways of tackling
particular suit combinations.

Even a simple
technique such as the finesse is often applied incorrectly. Double and
combination finesses can be used to improve the chance of success in making the
required number of tricks. Also, knowing how the missing cards are likely to be
divided in the defenders’ hands is important.

The correct
play of a suit that has become trumps is often critical in the success or
failure of a contract. Certain combinations occur frequently and yet are still
misplayed. And the trump suit may be tackled in different ways depending on how
many tricks declarer can afford to lose.

Maximise your
tricks from common suit combinations and you will certainly make more contracts.

Hand
Evaluation: the Losing Trick Count

When we first learn
about bidding we are taught how to calculate the strength of our hand by
counting how many high card points we have – 4 for an ace, 3 for a king and so
on. However, although this is usually a fair indication of the strength of our
hand when we are fairly balanced, it becomes less useful when the hand has a
long suit (or suits). In particular, when we have established a good trump fit
(i.e. at least an eight card fit) with partner then we sometimes need another
way of working out how many tricks we might be able to make.

The Losing
Trick Count (LTC) is a way of measuring the trick taking potential of a hand
without using high card points.

However,
there are many adjustments that need to be made to the basic LTC, and it can be
improved further by adding the concept of Cover Cards.

With these additional
refinements the LTC allows you to calculate the total number of tricks that your
partnership can take. Used correctly, this can give a more accurate assessment
of the level at which you should be playing than simply counting points.

Planning the Defence: Defeat More Contracts

An important
part of learning how to play bridge is realising that when you are declarer, you
must plan the hand. Defenders must also plan their strategy. Here are some of
the things you must ask yourself:

How many tricks do
we need?

What can I deduce
from partner’s lead?

What can I deduce
from the bidding?

What is partner’s
point count?

How is the play
likely to go?

How many tricks
might I make?

To succeed what
must partner hold?

Only when you
have considered all these points are you ready to make your plan to defeat the
contract. As usual the steps involved will be reinforced with prepared hands for
you to play.
This Masterclass will help you to plan the defence, and become a better defender

Fits & Misfits

The last
Masterclass of 2008 will combine learning, with the seasonal and social

As all bridge players know the most exciting hands often turn into a misfit and
a bidding nightmare. No matter how many conventions you have agreed with
partner, there never seems to be a suitable bid available. Instead you must
mentally shortlist the possible bids, and choose a starting point that passes
the most useful message that you can think of.

Robert will
start off the afternoon by giving some tips and examples. You are also invited
to bring along a hand that has recently caused problems.

After the
talk there will then be some challenging hands to play duplicate style, with a
break for wine and seasonal refreshments.

The winning
pair will receive a small prize and an engraved trophy to share over the next
year.